Apartment house



APBTMENT HOUvS Filed April 2,#1926' v 'www www Patented Nov. 9, 1925.

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LOUIS rUsTEr/IENnor WASHINGTON, DISTRICT ordcoLUIvIBIA.

APARTMENT HOUSE'.

Application filed April 2, 192,6. Serial No. 99,313.

This invention -relatesto building construction, more particularly to an apartment layout for a Ycity block as, a u nit; and one object of the invention is the utilization of the entire street frontageon all sides, with the exception of a garage entrance when such entrance is deemed desirable.

Another object of the invention is the elimination of alleys and of service entries, refuse collection, and similar unsightly features from the rear.

Another object of the invention is the resulting utilization of space normally occupied by rear yards as an inner. garden, and whenever desired, the construction of a cen.- tral heated garage in place of the usual collection of assorted tin and othertype garages.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a ground level plan of one form of apartment layout for a normal city block, including a central garage;

Figure 2 is a section through one of the unit apartments, showing the relative position of the common service way; I

Figure 3 is a horizontal section showing the basements of two adjoining houses on the line 3 3 of VFigure 2.

It is found in planning houses for a'city block, using the normal type of square layout, that requirements for alleys and service entries in cities result in a loss of from to feet at each corner. In addition, the cost of paving 'the alleys is co-nsiderable, and the use of individual service entries and similar features makes the rear view unsightly. The system herein described in detail remedies these defects and in addition effects a considerable saving over the cost of individual house construction and upkeep.

Referring to the drawings, l designates Vcorner apartment houses of the usual type, with adjoining unit houses 2 constructed in the intervening space. These units are suitable for the use of a single family, and, like row houses, have individual entrances. Unlike row houses, however, they have no individual service entries, but instead communicate with a common service way 8, through doors leading into the individual basements 4; the service ways have the usual street outlets, these outlets 5 leading from the basements of the corner apartments l. The houses are separated by party walls lextending vfrom the roof tothe cellar, the party walls being constructed in the usual 'manner of either masonry or frame. The service way 3 is separatednfrom the house cellars by av structural or curtain wall constructed in the usual lnannerof masonry or frame,ihav ing openings andv doors as hereinafter described. y 1

Av driveway 6 leading to a central heated garage 7 may be used; the remaining free space is available for planting as desired.

The servicekway can also be utilized for heating mains 8 from va central heating plant, and may also house the usual gas and electric light 1netersthus avoiding any need for periodicentry into the individual apartmentsffor meter readingsefuse may-*be placed in cans in entry 9, as indicated in dottedjlines, for `daily collection, and doors of packages, groceries, etc.

Where the individual houses are at different levels, .as is common in hilly sections, steps, or, if preferred, ramps, may be used in the service way to facilitate the necessary service. f

The way rtherefore eliminatesand takes the place of the usual alley; the cost of construction is small because the least valuable portion of each housev is used. In fact, the l space required is not more than the space normally loccupied by the coal binfand furnace, which space is available if a central heating plant is installed. n

The invention further contemplates changes in existing constructions of row houses, which may be converted int-o lateral apartments by the installation of a servic'eway, thus permitting a discarding of the attendant alleys and a utilization of the undeveloped street frontage.

A system of lateral'unit apartments, one apartment adjacent another, instead of the usual vertical arrangement, thus becomes available to the home owner, the service way permitting a combining of the advantages of individual houses with the facilities of apartment houses. In addition, the substitution of the service way for the usual alleys and the construction of buildings around the entire street frontage of a city square profvides an enclosed and protected playground for children; such inner playgrounds will .10 lead to each house basement for `delivery l avoid a large proportion of accidents due to automobile trafic'on'clty streets and alleys.

I claim as my invention l. A building construction comprising a series of' contiguous housesv separated from each other by party Walls extending from roof to foundation and provided With a common service Way substantially in the plane of the basement, connecting all the houses but separated from the house cellars by a structural or curtain Wall.

2. A building construction comprising a series of contiguous houses separated from each other by party Walls extending from roof to foundation and provided With a common service4 Way substantially in the plane of the basement7 connecting all the houses but separated from the house cellars by a structural or curtain Wall, said curtain wall having entries to the house cellars.

3. A building construct-ion for a city block comprising corner houses, 'a series of contiguous houses in the intervening space between the corner houses, and separated from each other by party Walls extending from roof to foundation, and a connnon service way substantially in the plane of the basement, connecting all the houses but separated frornthe house cellars by a structural or curtain Wall.

4k. A building construction for a city block comprising corner houses, a series of contiguous houses in the intervening space between the corner houses, and separated from eachother by party Walls extendingkfroin roof to foundation, and a common service Way substantially in the plane of the basement, connecting all the houses but separated from the house cellars by a structural or curtain Wall, said curtain Wall having entries to the house cellars.

5. A building` construction comprising a series of contiguous houses separatedl from each other by party Walls extending'froin roof to foundation and provided With a common service Way substantially in the plane of the basement, coimecting all the houses but separated from'the house cellars by a structuralv or curtain Wall, said service Way communicating with entrances leadingV from the street.

6. A building` construction comprising a series of contiguous houses separated from each other by party Walls extending from roof to foundation and provided With a coininon service Way substantially in the plane of the basement, connecting all the houses but separated from the house cellars by a structural or curtain Wall, said curtain Wall having entries to the house cellars and said service Way communicating with entrances leading from the street.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS JUSTEMENT;V 

